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Huge Volume of Flare Gas Curbed

Iran has prevented flaring 12 billion cubic meters of associated petroleum gas into the environment since the first phase of AMAK project went on stream in 2008, Seyyed Morteza Mirnassiri, the director of the project, said.
AMAK is Iran's largest environmental project in oil and gas sector, undertaken by the National Iranian Oil Company, and aims to gather associated petroleum gas, or APG, from oilfields, Shana reported.
APG is a form of natural gas found with deposits of petroleum. It is often released as a waste product from the petroleum extraction industry. When it is burnt off in gas flares, it is referred to as flare gas.
"The plan, which started 14 years ago, includes construction of seven compressor stations, namely Ahvaz 1 Bangestan, Ahvaz 2, Ahvaz 3, Mansouri, Abteimour, Maroun 3 and Kopal, and building a refinery focusing on gathering and desalinating the APG output of these stations," Mirnassiri said. APG is released as a byproduct of petroleum extraction. The flaring of APG is controversial as it is not only a pollutant and a source of global warming but also a waste of a valuable fuel source.
The gas can be utilized in a number of ways after processing. Additionally, it can be both sold and included in the natural gas distribution networks, used for on-site electricity generation with engines or turbines, reinjected for enhanced oil recovery or used as feedstock for the petrochemical industry.
AMAK refinery's first phase receives about 4.3 million cubic meters of sour gas per day from the gas compressor stations and produces close to 4 mcm of desalinated gas to make up for the feedstock shortage of Bandar Imam Petrochemical Complex in the south.
The refinery is also designed to deliver light gas to the National Iranian Gas Company, according to Mirnassiri.
He added that the second phase of AMAK project is near completion and final tests are being conducted. The second phase is to feed Razi Petrochemical Company.By curbing 6.7 mcm of APG a day, the project has made "great contribution to preserving the environment", Mirnassiri added. Despite the introduction of many projects to reduce APG flaring, Iran has the highest rate of energy waste in the form of APG in the Middle East and ranks third in the world in this regard after Russia and Nigeria.